Catarina Pollini

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Catarina Pollini

| image =

| caption =

| league =

| team =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs =

| height_order = flip

| position = Power forward / center

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|3|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vicenza, Italy

| number =

| nationality = Italian

| college = Texas (1988–1989)

| draft_league = WNBA

| draft_year = 1997

| draft_round = 4

| draft_pick = 32

| draft_team = Houston Comets

| career_start = 1979

| career_end = 2006

| years1 = 1979-1988

| team1 = A.S. Vicenza

| years2 = 1989-1994

| team2 = P.A. Cesena

| years3 = 1994-1998

| team3 = ASDG Comense 1872

| years4 = 1997

| team4 = Houston Comets

| years5 = 1999-2000

| team5 = PF Schio

| years6 = 2000–2004

| team6 = Ensino Lugo

| years7 = 2004–2005

| team7 = Ros Casares Valencia

| years8 = 2005–2006

| team8 = Ensino Lugo

| years9 = 2009

| team9 = Ensino Lugo

| highlights = *7x European Champions Cup (1983, 1985-1988, 1991, 1995)

12x Italian League champion (1982-1988, 1990, 1995-1998)
WNBA champion (1997)
Ronchetti Cup champion (1994)

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{bkw|ITA}}}}

}}

Catarina Pollini (born 16 March 1966) is a retired Italian basketball player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/catarina-pollini-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171917/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/catarina-pollini-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Catarina Pollini Olympic Results |accessdate=20 July 2018}}

Pollini also played one short season in the WNBA with the Houston Comets in 1997.

Career

On 28 April 1997 Pollini was selected with the final pick (32nd overall) of the 1997 WNBA Draft by the Houston Comets. Her debut game was played on 21 June 1997 in a 76 - 56 win over the Cleveland Rockers where she played for 8 minutes and recorded 2 rebounds and 1 assist but no points.{{cite web | url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/199706210CLE.html | title=Houston Comets at Cleveland Rockers, June 21, 1997 }}

This 1997 season would be Pollini's only season in the WNBA. She played in 13 of the Comets' 28 games (playing in just 1 of the Comets' 15 final games from 22 July to 24 August) and averaged 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds. Her 13th played game of that season on 1 August 1997 was her final game in the league. On that day, the Comets would blowout the Los Angeles Sparks, winning by 24 points (81 - 57) with Pollini playing for less than 2 minutes and recording no stats other than one foul.{{cite web | url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/boxscores/199708010LAS.html | title=Houston Comets at Los Angeles Sparks, August 1, 1997 }}

Although she did not play in any playoff games, the Houston Comets won the first WNBA Championship in 1997 with Pollini as a member of the roster, thus making her a champion in her sole WNBA season.